THE NAIRN 169 



great numbers of people in summer and autumn. There is a 

 sewage farm on flat, stony ground across the river from the 

 town, but it is unable to treat the great amount of sewage run 

 on to it, and in addition to this the waste products of a distillery 

 are or were mixed with the sewage. The volume of water in 

 the river is usually not very great ; indeed, except in time of 

 high flood, the volume is never great. The whole length of the 

 river is only about 30 miles, and although several good burns 

 act as feeders, the district is one of light rainfall, and floods 

 are not frequent. The total catch of rods may be said to 

 vary from 100 to about 300 ; the figures for four consecutive 

 years, published elsewhere, are : 175, 250, 294, 175. A 

 considerable number of sea-trout and finnock are not counted 

 in these returns. 



The first weir encountered by ascending fish is at Miltoun of 

 Kilravock. It is a long, slanting structure, situated just above 

 two alder-clad islands, so that the stream is divided into three 

 channels. The weir at the point to which fish are most naturally 

 led is by no means high, and cannot be regarded as seriously 

 obstructing fish. It could be very easily improved, however. 



The Nairnside Weir, which comes next in order, is much 

 more formidable, except in high water, because the river here 

 is naturally shallow, and the water passing over the sill of the 

 dyke is very thin. There is no fish-pass of any kind, and the 

 river banks being flat at this part and above, it unfortunately 

 happens that very little fall is possible in the mill-lades, so 

 that the tendency is to prolong the lades beyond more than one 

 obstruction. In this way the water drawn from the river by 

 means of the Bridgate Weir next above a structure formed 

 of boulders and stones is not returned to the river above the 

 Nairnside Weir, thus still further depriving that obstacle of 

 water. 



The next weir is that of Holm Rose, and here again the 

 water from two lades rather than only one is carried to the 

 river below. The lades are not, perhaps, very large, but 

 neither is the river, and the loss is material. I understand that 

 the levels make any other arrangement rather difficult. Holm 

 Rose Weir is perhaps the most serious obstacle in the river. 

 It is not high, but the downstream face is steep, and there is 

 no gap or fish-pass. 



